4

I was watching the Candidates recently and noticed that the commentators talking about Wesley So’s last game got annoyed that he was aiming for a draw and didn’t really have any fight in him.

A draw was agreed after only 20 odd moves, and that got me thinking - if a top grandmaster were to aim for a draw against AlphaZero for instance, would they always manage? Can a Grandmaster force a draw?

4
  • do you want to re-ask with superGM? of course answer is still no, but i wonder if the probability is a lot higher with superGM as compared to (non-super)GM
    – BCLC
    Aug 20, 2021 at 4:55
  • 1
    It's fine... I think the answer covers that pretty well as well. Guess there's a reason GMs haven't drawn against an engine in ages. Aug 20, 2021 at 8:12
  • About the Alphazero question - see chess.stackexchange.com/questions/32702/…
    – Allure
    Sep 18, 2021 at 1:20
  • 1
    Maybe the slightly more pertinent question is whether a (super) GM can always draw as white. Nov 3, 2021 at 3:40

1 Answer 1

14

No. It may be difficult to win against a top GM who is playing for a draw, but it's by no means impossible.

If GM's could always draw at will, we could stop all championship matches once either player won a game, since the outcome would be decided. But we don't do that, because the outcome is not decided after one player gets one win.

1
  • 1 - is the probability that a GM can (at least) draw (when playing for a draw of course) much higher than that of an IM? 2 - what about superGM vs (non-super)GM?
    – BCLC
    Aug 20, 2021 at 4:56

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.